Basketball

At least six NCAA teams set to join PBA D-League

60 percent of the NCAA are already sure to see action in the upcoming PBA D-League

The next season of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament is a long way away.

However, majority of the member-schools aren’t wasting time in gearing up for the collegiate wars.

Elimination round sweeper Lyceum of the Philippines University has formally announced its partnership with Zark’s Burgers for the upcoming 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup tipping off on January 18 of next year.

The Pirates aren’t the only NCAA team seeing action in the semi-professional league, however.

They will be joined by Emilio Aguinaldo College, now affiliated with Batangas, and returning Jose Rizal University along with newcomers Che’Lu Bar and Grill-San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Powerball-College of St. Benilde, and University of Perpetual Help.

Also, there remains a possibility that back-to-back champion San Beda College as well as revamped Colegio de San Juan de Letran will participate.

For LPU head coach Topex Robinson, this is yet another opportunity for his crew to measure themselves against the teams they will be matched up against in the next season of the NCAA. “We’re excited, but it’s not about redemption. It’s more on improving ourselves because we always try to get better whenever we have an opportunity,” he told reporters.

It’s not just NCAA member-schools which will go to war, however, as league stalwarts Centro Escolar University and Tanduay are also still there alongside upstarts AMA, Marinerong Pilipino, and Wangs.

Whatever it is, Robinson said the experience will only help the Pirates, and the rest of the NCAA student-athletes. “Yung mga kuya naman ang makakalaban namin ngayon. It’s something that we look forward to,” he said.

He then continued, “We want to try our team naman at an even higher level.”